1. The late Frederick Sharpe, FSA, was one of the world's leading
authorities on the history, technology, and music of bells. For many years he
was a consultant expert on the subject and inspected many hundreds of towers
and belfries. He also researched and wrote books on the church bells of
Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire, Cardiganshire, and Radnorshire, and was
a frequent lecturer to professional, learned, and other bodies. Frederick
Sharpe died in February 1976. Inter alia, his Will provided a sum of money and
nominated a group of Trustees (the "Sharpe Trustees") to hold and use
the capital and income "in their sole discretion for the maintenance,
repair, and restoration of Church Bells situate anywhere in England and
Wales".

2. This document describes the Sharpe Trustees' current policy and has been
prepared for the guidance of those making application for grants.

3. Applications must be addressed to the Grant Secretary of the Trustees
and should be made by, or on behalf of, the relevant authority of the Church
concerned. A special form is provided to ensure that a minimum of relevant
information is presented, but it is the responsibility of the applicant to
provide as much supporting information as is necessary for the Trustees to make
a decision against the policy outlined herein without any further
correspondence. When photographs are provided, the tower name should be written
on the reverse of each. Applications will normally be acknowledged within one
month of receipt, but are only considered at the twice-yearly meetings of the
Trustees (usually mid-March and mid-October). For consideration at a particular
meeting, an application should be in the hands of the Grant Secretary six weeks
in advance (ie, 1st February or 1st September).
Advice of the Trustees' decision is normally despatched no later than one month
after the meeting. Where there are circumstances which necessitate a decision
by the Trustees by a given date, those circumstances and the appropriate date
should be made clear in the application. Applicants are advised that
pressing for a quick decision may well prove to be counterproductive. In
relation to the programme of work to be undertaken, an optimum time for an
application to be considered is after an order has been placed for the work to
be done but not more than 12 months before the expected completion date.

4. The Trustees endeavour to consider each application in the light of their
knowledge of Mr Sharpe's predilections. Thus, when rehanging is involved,
special attention is paid to any intention to retain canons, for Mr Sharpe felt
strongly that canons were an integral part of a particular founder's
craftsmanship. Another example which merits favourable consideration is that of
welding in order to preserve a bell from a particular foundry, especially if
few other examples are still in existence, for Frederick Sharpe was anxious to
discourage the needless destruction of items of antiquarian value or interest.
Administratively, he was scrupulous in encouraging those concerned with bell
restoration to follow the necessary ecclesiastical procedures (such as obtaining
a Faculty). In the supporting information, therefore, applicants are encouraged
to draw the Trustees' attention as to how these various aspects have been
addressed, and to provide the requested summary of the existing installation.

5. When assessing what grant to make, if any, the Trustees also wish to take
into account:

the financial situation
prevailing (eg, how much money has been raised so
far, what other sources of funding are being investigated) and the demonstrable
commitment to the project by local people (such as the incumbent, Church
Council, band of ringers, local ringers' Association);

the size of the
community;

the historic
significance of the total installation;

the precise details of
the work to be done (supported by copies of specifications by possible and
preferred contractors);

the reasons for the
choice of preferred contractor, or if only one has been approached, the reasons
for so doing.

6. The Trust is a registered Charity (number 277727). Its governing
instrument implicitly precludes certain categories of work on bells.
Consequently, the Trustees are not empowered to make grants
towards:

restoration, etc, of bells outside England and Wales;

restoration, etc, of bells housed in secular premises;

the casting of new bells
even, for example, to augment an existing ring;

work to achieve
sound-control;

tower strengthening,
unless it is done in association with rehanging, re-casting, or welding.

7. The first grant awarded from Trust funds was paid in 1982. Since then,
over 100,000 pounds has been made available for bell restoration work. Grants
have ranged between 50 and 500 pounds, the average being approximately 150
pounds.

8. The Trustees reserve the right to revoke any offer of grant should they
have reason to believe that the work has been carried out other than in
accordance with the original application. Grants will not be paid until the
work has been completed to the Trustees' satisfaction, and this may necessitate
an inspection. Any offer of a grant will lapse if it is not claimed within
three years of the Trustees' decision.

9. Under no circumstances will the Trustees enter into correspondence or
discussion about the reasons for their decision on any particular application.

10. The Trustees request that any grant made from The Sharpe Trust be
recorded in the Church's own files and also acknowledged in, for example, the
rededication service leaflet.

11. The Trustees are very willing to accept donations, bequests, or
legacies, with the aim of increasing the funds at their disposal, so long as
donors are prepared to have their gift used for grant-making against the
policies laid out in this document. The Secretary of the Trustees will be
pleased to discuss details with potential donors.